Queens Park Rangers: 6 Potential Replacements for Mark Hughes at QPR

With Mark Hughes's future looking shakier than a car with three wheels, Tony Fernandes may well have spent his Sunday Googling out of work managers who he could potentially tempt to West London.

Loftus Road has had a revolving door installed for a while now, with no less than 14—yes 14—changes in management in the past six years. And although Tony Fernandes has assured Mr Hughes that he will keep faith in him, tweeting his support after the defeat to West Brom (via Independent), chairmen are not renowned for always sticking to their promises.

So if Hughes does eventually hear the bell toll on his Rangers career, who would be the best man for the job?

Alan Curbishley

Phil Cole/Getty Images

Alan Curbishley has been linked with every Premier League job going in the past few years, and will no doubt be mentioned should Hughes get the sack.

A Charlton Athletic hero, Curbishley took them into the Premier League in 1998, but then promptly back down again. However, after gaining promotion the next year, Charlton and Curbishley spent seven very good seasons in the top flight, and he nearly led them to the Champions League.

A man with great experience, he was even tipped for the England job by Sir Bobby Robson. Curbs has spent a while out of management, and could be looking to get back into the game.

Mick McCarthy

Ian Walton/Getty Images

Good ol' Mick McCarthy was unfairly sacked from Wolverhampton Wanderers last season, and the team paid the price for it through relegation.

McCarthy is a very solid mid-table manager, after long spells at both Sunderland and the aforementioned Wolves. McCarthy is very hands-on and straight talking, and could be just what QPR need to shake up the dressing room:

Anyone who uses the word quintessentially in a half-time team talk is talking crap. (via Independent).

Having ruled himself out of the running for the Nottingham Forest job in the summer, stating his reasons as wishing to work in the Premier League (via Guardian), McCarthy is still looking for a full-time role.

Well, QPR are in the Premier League, and could well be looking for a manager very shortly. Hold tight Mick.

Rafael Benitez

Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images

Should Rafa Benitez take the (potential) QPR opening, he would have been in a very similar position before, just at the other end of the table.

Benitez took over at Liverpool in 2004 from Gerard Houllier and utilized the Frenchman's signings to the best of their ability; winning the Champions League in 2005. Ensuring Steven Gerrard stayed at the club, rejuvenating Jamie Carragher's career and signing Xabi Alonso were all strokes of genius by the Spaniard and he only left the club after disagreements with the owners, or "mutual consent," as it is called nowadays.

The chance of Benitez joining QPR may well be slim to none—seeing as his last three clubs have been Valencia, Liverpool and Inter Milan—but Rafa could be a huge scoop for Fernandes and Co. should Hughes be relieved from his role.

Yuri Semin

Dmitry Korotayev/Getty Images

Yuri Semin may not be a familiar name to some readers, but he is a legend in Russian and Ukrainian football: winning the Russian League twice, the Russian Cup five times, and leading Dynamo Kiev to the UEFA Cup semi-finals.

After spending 13 years at Lokomotiv Moscow, Semin was appointed Head Coach of Russia in 2005. Unfortunately for Yuri, that didn't quite work out, but his managerial expertise was still sought after by former team Lokomotiv Moscow, Dynamo Moscow and Dynamo Kiev, all of whom he has spent time managing up until the present day.

Semin left the Ukrainian side just last month and may well be looking to spread his wings from Eastern Europe to West London. With his great tactical sense, Yuri could be the one for me.

Ray Wilkins

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Ex-QPR legend Ray Wilkins is high up on my priority list for Hughes's replacement, should Rangers need one.

Player-manager of QPR between 1994 and 1996, Wilkins got the managerial bug (I've heard it's contagious) and moved to Fulham a year later. His tour of West London was complete when Wilkins was appointed caretaker for Chelsea in 2000.

However it was Wilkins's stint at the club nine years later that caused people in the game to sit up and take him seriously as a manager.

With Wilkins unfairly dismissed from the club in 2010 (via Guardian), he could well be looking to reap revenge on the Blues, and what better way to do that than to lead rivals QPR to a Premier League title?

Harry Redknapp

Scott Heavey/Getty Images

Harry Redknapp is the name on most Rangers fans' lips, and for good reason: this is 'Arry territory.

Worst start to the season.

Two points in seven games.

Bottom of the table.

Sound familiar? Well Tottenham were in the exact same position—albeit having played a game more—and Redknapp managed to completely overhaul the Spurs' season. After the introduction of Harry, the team climbed from bottom to eighth, and only narrowly missing out on a Europa League spot.

Should Harry be appointed manager of QPR, eighth would be great, but most fans would agree, anywhere above eighteenth would be a dream come true right about now.